Coyotes have chance to compete for Stanley Cup
Any solution was going to elicit a mixed reaction. Regardless of what the NHL came up with in terms of a returnto-play initiative, there were going to be those in favor and those who would prefer something different.
Under the decided-upon however, count the Coyotes those in favor.
Above all else, the NHL’s plan for a return affords the Coyotes a chance to contend for the Stanley Cup should the league start back up and finish the 201920 campaign.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced Tuesday that the proposed format essentially ends the regular season and the campaigns of the bottom seven teams in the league standings in terms of points percentage at the time of format, among the March 12 pause.
That means 24 teams will still get a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup, and the Coyotes are one of them. If the NHL does return to play games, the Coyotes would face the Nashville Predators in a five-game “qualifying series” to reach the first round of the playoffs.
“I think it’s an imperfect situation that requires kind of an imperfect solution,” Coyotes President of Hockey Operations and General Manager John Chayka said in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. “I personally believe that it’s very reflective of the league we play in. It’s a league of parity and I think they’re all going to be competitive series.
“...It’s certainly a positive for the Coyotes. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you we were biased and a goal of ours was to play in the postseason. It’s a different
format but we’re about playing.”
When the Coyotes acquired Phil Kessel in July and brought in Taylor Hall via trade in December, a new set of expectations were placed upon a team that hadn’t made the playoffs since 2012.
Technically speaking, the Coyotes still haven’t made the playoffs. There are hurdles to clear before that can be written in stone. First, the NHL would have to successfully execute a return to play. Second, for purposes of NHL record-keeping, the Coyotes would have to defeat the Predators in the qualifying round in order to officially be considered a playoff team.
Still, Coyotes center Derek Stepan considers the Coyotes’ admission to the 24-team continuance of play as a “second chance” at the ultimate goal. The Coyotes would still be competing for a Stanley Cup, still be playing hockey after the conclusion of a regular season.
“I think you play the regular season to have an opportunity to win a Stanley Cup, said Stepan, who made the playoffs in seven different seasons with the New York Rangers. “And we haven an opportunity to win the Stanley Cup. I think we’ve earned the opportunity . ... To me, that’s a job done during the regular season. Now we move on.”
Chayka said it is a matter of semantics whether one considers the Coyotes a current playoff team or not. The bottom line, he said, is that “some teams aren’t playing anymore, and we still are.”
certainly
excited
The Coyotes are now in the process of getting each of their players and essential staff members back to Arizona.
In early June, the NHL will give the green light for teams to gather at home facilities for small training groups on and off the ice, with no more than six people to a group. Coaches would not be allowed on the ice, which would leave it up to the players to run the sessions.
A more official training camp could begin no earlier than July 1, Bettman said on Tuesday. This, according to the commissioner, could allow for a potential return to play as soon as late July.
However, there is much that needs to happen before that plan can be executed, such as deciding the two host cities where the actual games will take place. Las Vegas was mentioned as a candidate; Glendale was not.
Sources confirmed the ice has been re-installed at Gila River Arena.